Kris Meeke will take on this year’s Ypres Rally in a Porsche 992 Rally GT, deputizing for the injured Pieter-Jan Michiel Cracco.
Meeke hasn’t driven the Ypres Rally since 2013 when he drove the then all-new Peugeot 208 T16 R5 as course car, but won the rally on his first start back in 2009 with a 207 S2000.
The opportunity comes just a week after the 46-year-old tackles the Donegal International Rally in Ireland, driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.
“First of all, let me say that I owe this opportunity entirely to Pieter-Jan Michiel Cracco and the Jobfixers Team,” Meeke said. “He has had to withdraw following an unfortunate fall.
“I am thrilled that they are giving me the chance to drive the Porsche 992 Rally GT. I have never driven a rally in a Porsche, but it has long been on my bucket list, especially after seeing the results achieved last year by drivers like Dani Sordo with the 992 in Ypres.
“In fact, within an hour of finalizing the deal with Jobfixers, I called Dani. He is going to send me onboard footage from last year and has already given me a few tips, as I am convinced that driving that machine in Ypres will be a huge challenge!”
Meeke, who’ll be co-driven by Stuart Loudon, has fond memories of Ypres, particularly his victory 17 years ago.
“I remember my first time competing there, in 2009 with the Peugeot 207 Super 2000, alongside Paul Nagle,” he recalled. “We won the event – no small feat for a debut in Ypres.
“I had been testing with my team-mate Freddy Loix and before lunch, I wasn’t even close to his times. After lunch, I got to ride along with Freddy for a run. That was a mistake on his part, because later that day, I clocked faster times than Freddy!”
Cracco, who Meeke will replace, hopes “fans appreciate our decision” to keep the car in the rally with “a top international driver”.
He added: “After a few days of rest, I’ll have recovered from the concussion I sustained in a cycling accident, but the doctors have made it clear that I absolutely cannot risk any further impacts in the coming weeks.
“I am confident that the Jobfixers colors are in good hands with Kris Meeke.”
Alongside Belgian championship regulars, other big names include Hayden Paddon and Grégoire Munster who’ll each drive Hyundai i20 N Rally2s, and Stéphane Lefebvre (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) who’s won the rally the last two years.
